Television Nigerian

The Academic Staff Union of Universities of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, on Wednesday, held a rally to sensitise parents and students ahead of a national strike.

The rally led by the OOU branch acting Chairman, Dr Olooto Wasiu, took the lecturers around the university campus, where they told the students of the imminent strike action, urging them to understand that the strike is meant to save the nation’s public universities.

The Union also stopped over at bus terminals, where they addressed parents and motorists about the impending strike action.

Some of inscriptions on their placards read: “Nigerians, ASUU has sacrificed more than enough for the survival of the university system”, “FG stop playing politics with our educational system”, “Education is a right and not a privilege”, “Our negotiation should be completed and implemented”, among others.

The acting Chairman of ASUU in the institution, Dr Olooto, said that the lecturers organised the rally in line with the directive of the national body.

Olooto said that the strike ought to have since commenced but the Union elected to postpone to a later date in July to enable the lecturers to prepare the minds of stakeholders beforehand.

Speaking with journalists after the rally, Olooto identified non – non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement in full, rejection of the UTAS payment system developed by the ASUU and the continued use of the IPPIS to pay members as well as dissolution of some Governing Council of Federal Universities when their tenure has not yet ended, as some of the unresolved issues necessitating the impending nationwide strike by ASUU.

He disclosed that the government is also owing the lecturers three and half months under the guise of a ‘no work, no pay policy’ as punishment for a previous strike while the government has failed to attend to the union’s request for university autonomy as some of the reasons for the looming nationwide strike.

He explained that the strike was inevitable, hence the advance notice to Nigerians, especially stakeholders, so that nobody would be taken unaware.

Olooto said, “The basis of the rally we had today is to sensitize our students and stakeholders in the university about the impending action. The action may be determined by circumstances. It might be a strike or something else.

“The essence is to keep them aware that very soon and truly I say unto you that very soon the action will be exposed but it will be as directed by the national body. I believe that they have been sensitized and given their consent. So, if they heard that ASUU was on strike, they would have already been aware of it and its purpose.

“There are many things the government has not done. Our colleagues were being owed eight months’ salary because of the previous strike. They adopted the policy of ‘no work no pay.’ They have paid four and half months, it still remains three and half months unpaid. We are saying the remaining months owed to our members should be paid.

“The claim was that they didn’t teach but they forgot that the job of lecturers is not only limited to teaching. There are areas of community service, there are areas of research. Let them go ask the students if what they were supposed to be taught when ASUU was on strike was not eventually taught when the strike was called off.

“Immediately after the strike was called off and school resumed, we made sure that all that the students were supposed to learn were treated, they were examined, scripts were marked and results were released. What else did they want us to do that we did not do? So, there is no basis for withholding the three and half months salary of our members.”

The Anambra state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has inaugurated the governing council of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

Soludo performed the function at the State Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Awka, the state capital, according to a press statement by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, on Wednesday.

Members of the council include Prof. Chidi Odinkalu (Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Chief Christopher Ndubuisi, Igwe Oranu Chris Chidume and AIG Chris Ezike (retd.)

The Senate Representatives to the Council include Prof. K.K. Nwozo, Prof. Angela Nwamuo, Prof. C.C Chukwueloka, Prof. Obi Emeka and Prof. Anselem Nweke while the Congregation Representative to Council are Prof. M.N Chendo and Mrs. Eucharia.

According to the governor, the government views the institution as the apex of tertiary institutions in the state, and charged them with building an educational system that is fit for purpose, projecting into where the state wants to be.

The governor said, “The primary challenge you have is to work hard to reinvigorate and regenerate the university for the times we live and the times yet to come.”

“Are we preparing our children to be able to dominate the future? The university needs to carve its own unique identity, its own brand.”

“Fiscal sustainability is part of the challenges but you have to compete and dominate with the little resource base at your disposal,” Soludo said.

He expressed his passion for the university, saying he looks forward to seeing the university become the shining light, if not the leader in university education in Nigeria.

While expressing absolute confidence in the ability of the Council, the governor pledged to support the council in whatever feasible way, subject to resource constraints.

Responding, Prof. Odinkalu thanked the governor for extending to them the privilege to serve.

Odinkalu said, “The COOU law of 2014 has some very inspiring lines that we intend to work with”.

“A part of the law talks about investing in research in African cultural heritage, promoting the social heritage of the state and stimulating and sustaining interest in agriculture.”

He further paid glowing tribute to the Odumegwu Ojukwu dynasty whom the school is named after, describing it as a family that has inspired enterprise humility, enlightenment, courage and leadership as virtues that have to be taken seriously

He assured that he would work with the Vice Chancellor, management and staff of the institution to address basic rest facilities, build a beautiful green environment and infuse sustainable dignity

Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr. Beverly Nkemdiche Ikpeazụ, Chief Protocol officer, Hon Chinedu Nwoye, SA entertainment, leisure and Tourism, and Bob-Manuel Udokwu among others were also present at the event.

The Kano State Government, on Wednesday, confirmed that it has put in place necessary measures to halt the diversion of drugs and essential medical consumables in the entire state-owned medical facilities across the 44 local government areas of the state.

The Director General, Kano State Drugs and Medical Consumable Supply Agency, Gali Sule who disclosed this on Wednesday said the action is to specifically alert the public on the success recorded under the leadership of Alhaji Abba Yusuf, as he marks his first year in office.

According to him, the measures have led to significant and consistent availability of drugs in public hospitals in the state since the inception of Yusuf’s administration which is part of his campaign promise of providing qualitative health care services to the teeming populace of the state.

He said: “We have strengthened issues of transparency and accountability under our drug revolving funds policy, where whoever is in charge of medical stores, warehouses or pharmacies must account for whatever transactions he conducted in every quarter.

“We conduct quarterly review meetings every three months, where stocks of these stores will be taken at the beginning of the quarter, as well as the end of the quarter, including the value to ensure whatever is supplied tallies with the records of drugs supplied to any facility and followed up to where the drugs are supplied to confirm their arrival and judicious use.

“Where there is a gap, whoever is in charge, be he a storekeeper or pharmacist must be held responsible for the gap and other necessary sanctions to be taken, and I can confidently inform you, that we have improved our supply and availability of drugs in our hospitals rising from 30% to 90% within the last one year in office.”

Similarly, he noted that with the mandate of the Governor, the agency has embarked on sourcing for qualitative and affordable drugs, including other medical consumables, which are supplied and distributed to all hospitals across the state hospitals, thus bringing to an end the threat of fake and substandard drugs in public hospitals.

In addition, Sule noted that following their partnership with renowned pharmaceutical suppliers, only certified and genuine drugs, registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control are supplied to the hospitals for public consumption, assuring the general public of their safety under Yusuf’s-led administration.

Furthermore, the Director General said that the transparency and accountability policy is all-compassing, disclosing that the Agency is exploring the possibility of blocking the diversion of public health commodities, donated by groups or individuals for free supplies to patients.